


i’ll grab your face with my unwavering hand

by oldpapertowns



Series: chemical christmas 2020 [11]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Established Relationship, Ficlet, M/M, Post canon, chemical christmas, shopping!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28014915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oldpapertowns/pseuds/oldpapertowns
Summary: On Sokka’s birthday, Zuko decides to take Sokka shopping.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko
Series: chemical christmas 2020 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036416
Comments: 4
Kudos: 58





	i’ll grab your face with my unwavering hand

**Author's Note:**

> day 11 of chemical christmas - prose! prompt list by @saintmichale_ on instagram
> 
> title from ‘mover awayer’ by hobo johnson

On Sokka’s birthday, Zuko decides to take Sokka shopping.

Sokka’s face splits into an incredibly wide grin when he hears that, and he pulls Zuko into a kiss before Zuko is all but dragged down to the market.

At the market, Zuko just watches with a smile on his face and trails after Sokka as he flits from store to store, talking animatedly.

“Zuko!” Sokka calls at a weapon store, waving him over. “Look at this!” The sword he’s holding is beautifully crafted, gleaming a bright silver in the late afternoon light. He hands it to Zuko. “How’s it feel?”

Zuko takes it and checks the balance, then hands it right back to Sokka. “I think you know enough about swords to decide for yourself.”

Sokka brightens at that and tries a few experimental moves. “I think so too! It’s a nice sword.” Then he frowns down at the sword. “I don’t know. It’s really expensive.”

“Sokka.” Zuko takes Sokka’s free hand in his and looks him in the eye. “Here’s a secret: I’m the Fire Lord, which means I have a lot of money.” He glances at the price tag. “I’ve bought things that cost three times as much as this on a whim. Besides, it’s your birthday. I think you deserve something special.”

“Yeah, but-”

Zuko shuts Sokka up with a kiss. “You like the sword. You’re getting the sword.” He calls the shopkeeper over and buys the sword after glancing at Sokka for confirmation, who nods after a brief hesitation.

“I still feel bad,” Sokka says as they walk out of the store with one more sword than normal. “It really was a lot of money.”

“You deserve it, love.”

Sokka balks, then puffs out his chest, deciding something. “Yeah. I do.”

Zuko smiles and squeezes Sokka’s hand. Sokka smiles back, then gasps when he sees a tiny machine on a store counter and makes a beeline for it, tugging Zuko with him.

“How does that work?” Zuko asks, perplexed, as the machine does some complicated maneuver.

The shopkeeper guffaws. “I’m glad you asked, young man!” He then proceeds to explain things, but he might as well be speaking another language. When he’s done, Zuko stares blankly, but next to him, Sokka’s beaming.

Sokka asks a question directly to the owner, and the two of them are off, prosing on about the machine in a conversation that Zuko can’t even begin to understand.

So he doesn’t try, instead opting to lean on the counter and gaze at Sokka. The way he gestures when he’s talking about something he’s particularly passionate about, how animated he is. Every time Sokka catches Zuko staring, he grins and winks then delves right back into the conversation.

Zuko doesn’t know how much time passes exactly, but the sun is close to the horizon by the time he and Sokka leave to go back to the palace, both holding significantly more bags than when they left.

When they get back to Sokka’s room to dump the bags on the bed, Sokka turns to Zuko and kisses him on the forehead.

“Thank you, babe. I loved it.”

“Yeah?” Zuko asks with a small smile.

Sokka grins. “Yeah.” Then he unsheathes the sword with a flourish. “And I got a cool sword out of it!”

“You know,” Zuko says thoughtfully. “I never even gave you a present.”

Sokka squints at Zuko. “What? I thought you buying everything was my present.”

“Well, yes,” Zuko says as he rummages around a bag and brings out a smaller bag. “But there’s also this.”

He hands it to Sokka, who opens the bag and peers inside. Then he gasps and brings out a machine identical to the one he’d talked about for hours. “You didn’t! The shop owner said that I would have to come back another day.”

Zuko smiles sheepishly. “That was because I bought the last one.”

Sokka bursts into laughter, the machine that had held his attention for hours forgotten in his hands. He places it on his desk carefully then hauls Zuko in for a kiss. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“I try,” Zuko responds when he draws back for breath. “You’re pretty amazing too.”

“I know.”

Zuko grins and lets himself be pulled into another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> ty for reading!! feel free to check out my other works. stay safe, stay sane <3


End file.
